As you may be aware the UK Emergency Alerts system is set to send a test message across Britain and Northern Ireland. The test message will be broadcast at approximately 15.00 on Sunday 23 April, 2023. Mobile phone customers near border areas in the Republic of Ireland who roam onto a UK mobile phone network between 15.00 and 16.00, will receive the test message unless they have opted out of Emergency Alerts in their device settings.
Authorities and Agencies dealing with vulnerable populations are asked to ensure that their stakeholders are well informed about the pending broadcast of the UK Emergency Alerts welcome message. Vulnerable populations in this instance can include, but are not limited to, domestic violence victims, human trafficking victims, other vulnerable communities with covert phones, the hard of hearing, autistic people, dementia suffers, etc. Public gatherings such as sporting events in the border regions should also be aware of the alert.
An Emergency Alert looks and sounds very different to other types of messages such as SMS ‘text messages’. The notification will take the form of the screen shot below, however the content of the message will differ. The alert will include a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
Recipients will hear a loud, siren-like sound and the phone will use a distinct vibration. The message will appear on the home screen of the phone until it is acknowledged.
The Road Safety Authority is also advising road users who may be travelling in border counties to be aware of the alert adding that that drivers are reminded never to use their mobile phones while driving; “In a real-time emergency, you should find somewhere safe and legal to pull over and read the message. If that is not possible, drivers can tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until they can pull over safely,” the authority said.
“However, this alert across Britain and Northern Ireland on Sunday is simply for testing purposes so road users should ignore the message and carry on with their journey.”
Full details of UK Emergency Alerts can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/alerts.
